Rating: 
Summary: Will Make You Think
Review: Of all the power inherent within the Seth material it's troubling to read how it's co-author Jane Roberts could've struggled so much in out her own private life with her physical ailments.
Ofcourse, when Jesus died the disciples were so distraught they turned the meaning of his death into Christianity. We have been lucky that such is not the case for the hero of our age. Neverhtheless there is the question why?
Reading this book made me struggle with that question myself, so if you are into questioning what you really believe about Seth and Jane Roberts - which is afterall the spirit of the Seth material, then this book is for you.
As for my personal conclusions: If you accept the Seth material as valid and truthful, as I do, then you also realize that in another reality Jane did live, and if half of Seth's early predictions about that reality in which Jane did live are true, then this world as we know it would be a very different place. So perhaps in this reality we are choosing the other road, perhaps working out our world's challenges for ourselves, without the help that Seth would've offered.
And just because the messenger died giving the message does not mean the message is not true. When the catholic church gave Galileo the options of either being executed or recant his statements about the earth revolving around the sun, Galileo recanted. But that did not stop the earth in its orbit! Indeed the TRUTH needs no matyr, nor does the Seth material need a super-human proving it all for us. We can prove it for ourselves in our own lives, and perhaps go farther than Jane ever did. That is my goal in this physical incarnation of mine, and perhaps you will make it yours as well.
Rating:
Summary: Will Make You Think
Review: Of all the power inherent within the Seth material it's troubling to read how it's co-author Jane Roberts could've struggled so much in out her own private life with her physical ailments.
Ofcourse, when Jesus died the disciples were so distraught they turned the meaning of his death into Christianity. We have been lucky that such is not the case for the hero of our age. Neverhtheless there is the question why?
Reading this book made me struggle with that question myself, so if you are into questioning what you really believe about Seth and Jane Roberts - which is afterall the spirit of the Seth material, then this book is for you.
As for my personal conclusions: If you accept the Seth material as valid and truthful, as I do, then you also realize that in another reality Jane did live, and if half of Seth's early predictions about that reality in which Jane did live are true, then this world as we know it would be a very different place. So perhaps in this reality we are choosing the other road, perhaps working out our world's challenges for ourselves, without the help that Seth would've offered.
And just because the messenger died giving the message does not mean the message is not true. When the catholic church gave Galileo the options of either being executed or recant his statements about the earth revolving around the sun, Galileo recanted. But that did not stop the earth in its orbit! Indeed the TRUTH needs no matyr, nor does the Seth material need a super-human proving it all for us. We can prove it for ourselves in our own lives, and perhaps go farther than Jane ever did. That is my goal in this physical incarnation of mine, and perhaps you will make it yours as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent memoir.....vital for fans of Jane Roberts's work!!
Review: This book is a brilliant, poignant memoir of Jane Roberts, sad at times, but with tremendous beauty and clarity shining through. There is so much meaty information in it, many interesting anecdotes and so forth, that I already consider it to be a necessity for anyone interested in the work of Jane, Rob, and Seth. Susan Watkins shares with us her memories (and others' memories, as well) of Jane the WOMAN, not exclusively focusing on Jane as "trance medium" for Seth. What emerges is a stunning portrait of Jane, very well written and attention-holding throughout. I hope you'll check it out.
Rating:
Summary: The truth behind the power of beliefs
Review: This book is a must read for all hard-core Seth fans. Sue Watkins, who was very close to Jane Roberts, writes like a dream, frankly and honestly, no holds barred. One of the most difficult things for most of us to understand (those of us who have been reading and utilizing Seth's concepts for years), is how Jane could have lived and suffered so long with the debilitating effects of rheumatoid arthritis. How, we want to know, could she write those books about creating your own reality, and yet fail so miserably with her own health? With a great deal of compassion and understanding, not to mention 20/20 hindsight, Sue peels away the layers of Jane's psyche and reveals the woman who was the true "mystery person" behind the Seth material. We realize, as we read this memoir, that we knew and understood very little about this amazing woman, and we come away with a lot more compassion for ourselves and our own struggles with our core beliefs. I highly recommend this book, and I will re-read it every time I get discouraged and impatient with myself for hanging on to negative beliefs of my own.
Rating:
Summary: Touching Memoir
Review: This is a truly touching and revealing memoir of an extraordinary life-that of Jane Roberts. In reading the Seth books, I never had a true feeling for who Jane was as a person. Not that she ever seemed merely a conduit for Seth, but his teachings always took precedence in the writings. In Sue Watkins' book we are able to see the difficulties and doubts Jane experienced, the often very painful and austere life she lead (for example the issue of food, which Jane seemed to deny herself - eating a peanut butter sandwich, but not wanting to be seen doing so; or the belief that travel was a folly that could not be tolerated because it took her away from her writing desk). But the earthy humor and joy of Jane also comes through - dancing, smoking, drinking and hanging out at the local taverns. While I'm not sure the author really knew Jane on an intimate level (and says as much many times throughout this book), it is certainly the most revealing look we are likely to have of Jane Roberts and her extraordinary accomplishments during a particular lifetime. I believe this book will have more meaning for the reader who is already familiar with the Seth material.
Rating:
Summary: Exploration of a unique relationship
Review: Though publishers insist that all books be categorized, there are some that rise above these cubbies. "Speaking of Jane Roberts" is such a book.Those who seek to know the tiniest details of Jane Roberts' life--to what end, I can't imagine--should go elsewhere for boring, none-of-their-business gossip. This isn't the place. It's a biography, not of a person's mundane life, but of a relationship. It took creative genius to elucidate Jane's life through Susan's own life and to do it in a way that brought out the strangeness of it. None of us walks through life without the personality tentacles of others wrapping around us. Susan knew this and she wrote about it. Jane was not a guru, never wanted to be a guru. "Speaking of Jane Roberts" brings out the very human Jane, showing her in her relationship with others, which is the only way any of us can and are seen. And perhaps it will stop Jane from spinning in her grave, something she's surely done since the day she died. Susan Watkins' writing is a joy to read. Her ability to make a scene, an entire person, come alive is unique. Read this book for its excellence first, its subject second.
Rating:
Summary: Recommended, even for people unfamiliar with Jane Roberts.
Review: Unlike many readers here, I had never heard of Jane Roberts or Seth. I was familiar with Sue Watkins, though, so when I was given "Speaking Of Jane Roberts" as a gift, I read the book to learn more about her. It was a wonderful, poignant, sometimes painful, memoir. Reading it, I wished I had been part of their gatherings. Sue makes writing seem so easy, so absolutely enjoyable, which is why even someone totally unfamiliar with the subject matter can enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Recommended, even for people unfamiliar with Jane Roberts.
Review: Unlike many readers here, I had never heard of Jane Roberts or Seth. I was familiar with Sue Watkins, though, so when I was given "Speaking Of Jane Roberts" as a gift, I read the book to learn more about her. It was a wonderful, poignant, sometimes painful, memoir. Reading it, I wished I had been part of their gatherings. Sue makes writing seem so easy, so absolutely enjoyable, which is why even someone totally unfamiliar with the subject matter can enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Resolving the Jane Conundrum
Review: Were it not for the effort of Sue Watkins in "Conversations with Seth", fans of Seth, Jane, & Rob who never sat in on an ESP class wouldn't know that Seth referred to them as "the black sheep of the universe", just as scholars would not know that Dr. Samuel Johnson kicked a stone and remarked: "I refute Berkeley, thus!" were it not for James Boswell. Not merely the amanuensis, Ms. Watkins is an important part of the Seth phenomenon, as this memoir of Jane makes clear. It is important for readers to understand why the progenitor of the create-your-own-reality perspective in our time could talk the talk but didn't walk the walk, so to speak, and though Ms. Watkins does not provide the answer in 25 words or less, she does present a very human, non-idealized picture of Jane that should help resolve the question. She has a journalist's respect for facts and an engaging, conversational style. Readers can hope that Rob will eventually publish the "Through My Eyes" memoir Seth suggested he write 28 years ago, and then we will have a more or less complete literary portrait of this remarkable personality by those intimates best qualified to tell the tale.
Rating:
Summary: Sue's memoir, certainly no biography
Review: Your expectations will certainly determine your satisfaction here. I was led to believe by friends and other reviewers that Sue Watkin's book was a biography of Jane. Given her excellent research work in "Conversations with Seth", I thought she was certainly up to the task. However, the great majority of the book is Sue's recollection of her experiences with Jane, cast in what I saw as a pathetic and depressing light. Though Sue is definitely more than an able writer -- very engaging, in fact -- I felt the title was a misnomer. Too much of the book, in my opinion, is her autobiography, justified by the supposed exploration of her and Jane's relation as "counterparts". I was very frustrated with the dearth of information on Jane. Sue's own stories did not illuminate the counterpart relationship for me beyond what I already knew from "Conversations". For me, this was a sad book. So many wasted opportunities. So little use of the Seth material to help guide one's life. I guess they were too close to it; Jane and those around her didn't have the luxury of years to examine and study it. Jane was too occupied writing more and ever more. For myself, I don't need this book to break any latent or lingering feelings of guru-ness that I might have held for Jane. However, I do know those who could profit from a little chipping away at Jane's pedestal. At least, thank you for that, Sue.
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